Is your business cyber-safe? New Cyber Wardens report exposes knowledge gaps

Small businesses aren’t automatically immune to cyber attacks because of their size, age, or sector, according to a fresh report that asks Australian SMEs to be honest about their cyber defences.

New research from the $23.4 million Cyber Wardens program, drawn from a survey of 2,100 small business participants, challenges traditional assumptions that mature businesses are better equipped to handle cyber threats than their younger peers.

The report, released Monday, paints a more complex picture — and finds that awareness of cybersecurity risks doesn’t always translate to action.

“This research is the first step in understanding what small businesses need to do, what might be standing in their way and what we can do to support them,” said Luke Achterstraat, CEO of the Council of Small Business Organisations, the group leading Cyber Wardens.